Irgandı Bridge ( tr, Irgandı Köprüsü) is an historical bridge in Bursa,

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...

. The bridge is over Gökdere, a tributary of

Nilüfer River The Nilufer or Niloufer River ( tr, Nilüfer Çayı) is a river in Turkey. From its source near Mount Uludağ (the classical Mysian Olympus) and flowing past Bursa, the river tends to the northwest along its course of . The Nilufer was the cla ...

at . It is between

Osmangazi Osmangazi is one of the central metropolitan districts of the city of Bursa in Bursa Province, as well as the fourth largest overall municipality in Turkey. The municipality has a population of approximately 778,843 as of 2012. On its own, it wo ...

(northwest) and Yıldırım (southeast), two second level municipalities of Greater Bursa

History

The bridge was commissioned by a wealthy merchant named Müslihiddin in 1442 during the reign of

Murat II Murad II ( ota, مراد ثانى, Murād-ı sānī, tr, II. Murad, 16 June 1404 – 3 February 1451) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1421 to 1444 and again from 1446 to 1451. Murad II's reign was a period of important economic deve ...

of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

. Its architect was probably Architect Timurtaş.Bursa Chamber of journalists page
/ref> During the

1855 Bursa earthquake The 1855 Bursa earthquake occurred on 28 February, with an estimated magnitude of 7.02±0.64 A devastating precursor quake that took place in Mustafakemalpaşa, a town of Bursa Province, in Turkey caused severe destruction all over Bursa and other ...

the bridge was partially damaged. During the

Turkish War of Independence The Turkish War of Independence "War of Liberation", also known figuratively as ''İstiklâl Harbi'' "Independence War" or ''Millî Mücadele'' "National Struggle" (19 May 1919 – 24 July 1923) was a series of military campaigns waged by th ...

Bursa was occupied by

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...

. In 1922, the bridge was bombed by the retreating Greek army. It was closed to traffic. In 1949 the bridge was reconstructed by the municipality albeit with minor modifications. After 2004, following another restoration the bridge was opened to traffic.

Details

The bridge is a single arc bridge. Arch span is and the width is .Asso. Prof. Yılmaz Önge's essay
/ref> It is an example of a rare type of covered bridge which houses a bazaar. It has been claimed (incorrectly) locally that it is one of only four bridges in the world having shops. Other bridges with shops on them are

Ponte Vecchio The Ponte Vecchio ("Old Bridge", ) is a Middle Ages, medieval stone closed-spandrel Circular segment, segmental arch bridge over the Arno River, in Florence, Italy, Florence, Italy. The only bridge in Florence spared from destruction during the ...

and Ponte Rialto in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

; Osam Bridge in

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...

;

Pulteney Bridge Pulteney Bridge is a bridge over the River Avon (Bristol), River Avon in Bath, Somerset, Bath, England. It was completed by 1774, and connected the city with the land of the Pulteney family which it wished to develop. Designed by Robert Adam in ...

in Avon, High Bridge in Lincoln, and " Frome Bridge" in Frome in the United Kingdom; and

Krämerbrücke The Krämerbrücke (; Merchants' bridge) is a medieval arch bridge in the city of Erfurt, in Thuringia, central Germany, which is lined with half-timbered shops and houses on both sides of a cobblestone street. It is one of the few remaining bri ...

in Erfurt, Germany. In the original design there were thirty shops on the bridge. According to Ass. Prof Önge during the Ottoman times, the bridge was also used to check traffic between two neighborhoods of Bursa by closing during the nights.

References

External links

{{Bridges in Turkey Ottoman bridges in Turkey Bridges with buildings Buildings and structures in Bursa Bridges completed in 1442 Transport in Bursa Ottoman architecture in Bursa